A FURIOUS resident has called on City of York Council to pay up - after the house next door caught fire, then flooded.

John Netherwood is demanding the council foot part of the bill for the £20,000 devastation wreaked on his own home.

The council-owned "house from hell", at 42 Tostig Avenue, Acomb, York, has stood empty since previous tenant Julie Stimpson was evicted in July.

Less than a week after the eviction, the house was engulfed in flames. Three months after the fire, the house was flooded.

Mr Netherwood returned from a holiday to find the carpets in his own home rotting.

Someone had broken into number 42, bunged up the plugholes in the sink, basin and bath, and left the water running.

His own insurance policy paid for the repairs for fire, smoke and water damage, but he had to pay two £75 excess charges - an excess which has now increased to £275, through no fault of his own.

Mr Netherwood wrote to City of York Council, calling on it to foot the bill, and to pay for any further incidents from its own insurance policy.

But, in a written reply from insurers Zurich Municipal, claims officer Claire Forster said: "Before a claim of this nature can succeed, it must be established that City of York Council have been negligent.

"There is no evidence to support this. The council cannot be held responsible for the criminal actions of others.

"Whilst we are naturally sympathetic, regrettably we are unable to consider a claim for compensation."

But Mr Netherwood said: "We understand the council is not responsible for the criminal actions of others, but they are responsible for the house not being secured properly and the water not being turned off securely.

"The evidence to support this was in our house, as it was standing in two inches of water for maybe a whole week. All our downstairs flooring was ruined, as was the wallpaper in the front room.

"All our furniture had to be removed to other parts of the house, so we were living in a mess through no fault of our own for the best part of a month.

"We feel that neither of these incidents should have been claimed on our insurance. No one from the council has been anywhere near even to apologise to us for the mess, which I feel was very bad-mannered on their part."

A City of York Council spokeswoman said: "The neighbouring property was vandalised and set on fire shortly after it became empty, resulting in significant repairs being required to make the property habitable.

"Unfortunately, despite the property being secured, it was again vandalised and flooded, resulting in further works being required prior to it being relet.

"We hope to have completed the necessary works within the next couple of weeks and will relet the property as soon as possible."